Disney Dining Experience Changes

[Mommeee]

We had TERRIBLE service at Citricos last month - the waitress was rude and so slow it took us more than an hour and a half to get out of there and we didn't have dessert (we were paying for babysitting so I was keeping an eye on the time and not just dawdling). The food was fantastic, though, so I didn't want to spend the entire dinner knowing I was going to have to have a "public" complaint session with management directly after eating. So I paid, reflected the service in the tip (though really I shouldn't have left any tip, she was that bad - AND she was sweaty and unclean - it was weird).

Later, when it was still bothering me and my husband mentioned some things that had happened while I was in the restroom, I did call the manager, just to let him know that we thought it was the best steak we'd ever had but the service was so unpleasant we might never go back. To my shock, he comped our meal, but even so I wouldn't have wanted to have a post-meal confrontation, even if I did think it would make the meal free.

So for me, and it sounds like for many people here, this isn't a problem of money, it's a matter of principle.

Well, AND a matter of money in some cases. I've never had a super attentive server at any of the buffets in WDW, though I love the buffets and continue to go back. In other words, I've never gotten 18% worth of service at a self-service restaurant, and that's always been fine. I tipped 10-15%. If I were running around as a server at Boatrights for 18% on those prices, I think I'd be pretty jealous of the cakewalk the servers at Chef Mickey's were getting.

Many times I've taken friends to dinner and when they insist on paying some, I'll say okay, you can leave the tip. Can't do that in WDW anymore.

This $250 dinner at Artist's Point that's been used as an example, must include wine. Who tips that much on alcohol? Not me! My husband's been in the bar business for 35 years and says most people don't. It's proportionately wrong.

Does anyone know if this gratuity is being added to the price before or after tax?

Finally, for those who say, "I always tip more than 18% so woo-hoo this is going to save me money!" I have to ask - why will you stop at 18% now? I assume that, like on a room service bill, there will be a place where you can add your additional 2% tip if you truly are always a big tipper. If that line isn't there, there's always the table so you can leave cash. Why will you suddenly be cheaper? That makes no sense!

I found this forum after I got the DDE email and wondered if I was the only one who thought this was nuts. Glad I'm not.

 

[Monty]

I'm checking to see if I can get an official answer from the source, as the last six people I've spoken two had not heard this is a "Property-wide" implimentation including non-DDE, and may have been poor wording on the writer's behalf.

Somewhere in the bowels of this thread it was posted that Disney replied that it is ONLY for DDE and parties of 6 or more at TS restaurants.

Here's the text of the clarification I received:

Many of you have expressed concern about the 18% gratuity that will be added to all Disney Dining Experience transactions. When using your Disney Dining Experience membership card the assessed gratuity will be added to all table service restaurant locations and lounges for all transactions regardless of party size. Gratuity will not be added to any counter service, food cart or quick service locations. In the past, gratuity was only implemented for larger parties of 8 or more for guests utilizing their Disney Dining Experience membership.

This adjustment to the program has been implemented in order to align the Disney Dining Experience Program with other dining experiences where gratuities are included. Effective January 1, 2008, when utilizing your Disney Dining Experience discount 18% gratuity will be added.
If you have any further questions or concerns we would ask that you send an e-mail to our Executive Offices at wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com.

Thank you,

The Disney Dining Experience Team

Hope that helps... [emphasis in text mine]

 

[wannabeBelle]

Hey all, We just got clarification from our source who also said it is ONLY for DDE cardholders and does not affect DDP, or Out of Pocket customers. Belle

 

[hrcollectibles]

Two things: I agree with you, I too will have to become 'more intolerant' of poor service, instead of letting my tip do the talking. Secondly, please tell me WHERE you found restaurants off Disney property without screaming children? Because I can't find ANY. Applebee's and Chili's up on 27, a few miles West of Animal Kingdom: always seated near a screaming kid. Olive Garden by I-Drive: always surrounded by whiny children who throw things. Same goes for any restaurant I go to on 192. I have to drive to my friend's house in Tampa to find food in a child-free zone.

There is a place near DTD Black Angus (great steaks in my opinion) I tend to stay away from places I have here when I am on Vacation (ie Applebees, Outback, Perkins anything like that).. No matter where you go to eat in Orlando there will be people there with screaming kids

 

[Monty]

Finally, for those who say, "I always tip more than 18% so woo-hoo this is going to save me money!" I have to ask - why will you stop at 18% now? I assume that, like on a room service bill, there will be a place where you can add your additional 2% tip if you truly are always a big tipper. If that line isn't there, there's always the table so you can leave cash. Why will you suddenly be cheaper? That makes no sense!

I take the approach that I'd prefer to set the tip myself and it would be higher, but if Disney is going to force me to tip at all, then what they force me to tip is all they'll get.

A small personal rebellion. :shrug:

 

[wannabeBelle]

I take the approach that I'd prefer to set the tip myself and it would be higher, but if Disney is going to force me to tip at all, then what they force me to tip is all they'll get.

A small personal rebellion. :shrug:

I'm with you!!! Belle

 

[Mommeee]

I take the approach that I'd prefer to set the tip myself and it would be higher, but if Disney is going to force me to tip at all, then what they force me to tip is all they'll get.

A small personal rebellion. :shrug:

I absolutely respect that! As a matter of fact, I'll probably do the same.

It would be interesting to find out how this ultimately affected the income of the wait staff.

 

[Laura]

I have always been asked if I Am using any type of Dining plan or DDE card at check in to a restaurant and it is noted on the system. I never looked to see if it was noted on the card for the server though. Any one know if this is noted?? Belle

I'm always asked if I'm on the dining plan but I've never been asked if I had DDE. I never reveal that till the end of the meal.

 

[Master Yoda]

Finally, for those who say, "I always tip more than 18% so woo-hoo this is going to save me money!" I have to ask - why will you stop at 18% now? I assume that, like on a room service bill, there will be a place where you can add your additional 2% tip if you truly are always a big tipper. If that line isn't there, there's always the table so you can leave cash. Why will you suddenly be cheaper? That makes no sense!

I found this forum after I got the DDE email and wondered if I was the only one who thought this was nuts. Glad I'm not.

I am one of those that you describe. As a general rule I would tip the 20% discount rounded up to the nearest dollar. Now that the gratuity is no longer optional I will tip the forced 18% mainly out of principal. I simply do not like to be forced to tip a certain amount regardless of level of service. That tip is a consumers only real leverage in the quality of service he or she receives. I know some will say that my principals in this matter will only hurt the CM's and not Disney which in this case would be true. But these changes were brought about due to the new union contract which the CM's vote on. So if the CM's think that they will be better off with a flat 18% then that is all they will get from me. I guess when the next union contract comes around we will see if it really did work out better for them in the long run.

 

[JimboJones123]

These servers don't just disappear into thin air?
All you have to do is politely ask or remind them that you are waiting for something.You are on vacation RELAX!

That's if you see them in half an hour... and even worse if they see you. Not all understand that to flag them means you need something. It's hard to relax when you waste away 1/4th of you park day waiting on service.

 

[kucarachi]

uncle sam or mickey? who takes more money these days

Just wondering if pretty soon disneyworld will seperate from the union and form its own country. I really dont see the appeal to making people pay for their tips. Its already got some of the busiest every day crowds in the world...regardless of poor tipping they have to be the best paid service staff in america just out of sheer volume. I dont know it this pertains to the regular dining plan too because i dont have time to go through 300 post...but if it does than i will most definately be eating counter service 6 out of the 7 days i usually stay there...and i hope some of you will too. They might own the company but its up to the consumer to show them whats fair, not just tell them. If you dont like it dont dine there and they will get the message...words dont equal money, so stick it to the man..errr mouse until he realizes how lucky he is to have such a loyal customer service and we expect some gratitude (at least 18 percent) back every year!

 

[beanbunny]

Just go back from a wonderful trip to Disney - my daughter & I decided at the last minute to have lunch at Sci-Fi - no reservations, no DDE or DDP - just lunch. Anyway, they automatically added an 18% tip to the bill. Thank goodness my daughter noticed it or I would have left an additional 20% on top of that! So, I guess they have already started automatically adding tips. Don't like the idea much because I like to control what I leave for the server but I guess there's not much we can do about it!

 

[hrcollectibles]

So if this is, indeed, for DDE only... then the next question becomes... "Why?" And I don't mean "why oh why did they do this to us," but rather, "what was the reasoning behind the policy." Obviously there had to be a reason -- this doesn't seem like a "ya know what we oughta do..." thing. So...

- Had DDE members become notorious for being lousy tippers?

- Were CMs getting the shaft because DDE members figured their tip based on the discounted price rather than the pre-discount cost?

- Was it a way to appease the CMs since they would presumably be losing their auto-tip in the DDP?

- Was it an attempt to standardize pay across the board?

- Was it a "goodwill gesture" in the union sense?

- Was it a "preventative measure" in the union sense?

Any other possibilities y'all can think of?

I think that may be a factor. I had lunch once with a friend of mine (whom is a castmember) her daughter and sister. when the bill came she tipped on the discounted amount I was like :lookaroun.. I noticed what she had tipped so I left an additional amount to make it 20% of the amount pre discount...
Lets not forget that maybe another reason they are adding the tip is b/c some Waiters and waitresses may not be receinge any tips due to soem cultural differences.

 

[kimmychad]

Jimbo's guide to tipping.

Rule #1.
Don't tip a %.

Rule #2.
Tip by number of guests. Not by guests eating. Not by number of meals. But number of guests. My wife and I split quite often going out. We'll split a meal. And split a dessert. But we have seperate drinks. And the server is serving BOTH of us. Why shoud they be screwed because we are splitting?

Rule #3.
Kids count as 1/2 person in this scale. So, when the kids are with us, it's 3 people.

Rule #4.
Tip by menu.
Level 1. Your buffets (low scale, Golden Corral, Souper Salad, Pizza Hut lunch, ect.) = $1 per person.
Level 2. Standard eatery (Chili's, Friday's, Max/Erma's, Applebees -- places where the average meal is around $10) = $2 per person.
Level 3. Nice dinner (Steakery like Outback, Olive Garden ect where meals average $15-$20 a plate) = $3 per person.
Level 4. Fancy dinner (Disney Dinners, Bistros, where meals are $25 or so per person) = $4 per person.

So say a bill at Level 1 comes out to $26 for the four of us (2 adults/2 kids), I tip $3.
If Level 1 is $14, I tip $3.
If we go to Chili's and split an app, kids meal and a burger, bill is $16, I tip $6.
If we go to Fridays and have an app, 4 meals and a dessert, bill is $49, I tip $6.

so help me understand jimbo, if you go to le cellier, you tip $4 a person, or do you tip more?

 

[hrcollectibles]

if a lot of DDP and DDE people are upset with this change, and may not eat at the parks, does that mean I may be able to book adr's (seeing that I am not a DDE member)

 

[ThreeCircles]

I take the approach that I'd prefer to set the tip myself and it would be higher, but if Disney is going to force me to tip at all, then what they force me to tip is all they'll get.

A small personal rebellion. :shrug:

My main concern with the new policy lies in the fact that I don't believe the Walt Disney World Co. knows better than the guest as to how their service at a particular meal was and what type of tip it warrants. I generally tipped 20% of the after-discount price. (Sorry folks, Disney prices are outlandish when it comes to food and drink and since it's not common practice to tip 20% on alcohol, well, it all comes out in a wash anyway.)

Seldom did I tip below that 20% unless the service was horrid. However, in eight years of eating at WDW, I must say, it does happen. Very infrequently but none the less, it happens. At those times I don't think I should have to ask for the tip to be reduced.

Also, as mentioned above, it's not expected that one tips 20% on a bottle of wine (which I generally enjoy when dining at the table service restaurants) or other alcohol. But, with the new program, that 20% will automatically be added?

I think these changes will certainly impact where I choose to spend my restaurant dollars in the future. And given that I'm a local, an annual passholder, and a Disney fanatic that often visits at least twice a month, I'm quite sure the changes were not worth it to Disney in the end.

 

[JimboJones123]

so help me understand jimbo, if you go to le cellier, you tip $4 a person, or do you tip more?

Unless it ungodly more. $30-$40 a person like Jiko, then $5-6. But I don't see myself spending that kind of money there.

 

[DisneyJoe]

So say a bill at Level 1 comes out to $26 for the four of us (2 adults/2 kids), I tip $3.
If Level 1 is $14, I tip $3.
If we go to Chili's and split an app, kids meal and a burger, bill is $16, I tip $6.
If we go to Fridays and have an app, 4 meals and a dessert, bill is $49, I tip $6.

Jimbo,
You've just simplified the math for yourself:

$3 tip on $26 = 11.5%
$3 tip on $14 = 21%
$6 tip on $16 = 37.5%
$6 tip on $49 = 12.25%

Average tip of 20%......

In other words, by your rules:

Level 4 ($25 per person, $4 tip) = 16% +/-
Level 3 ($15-$20 pp, $3 tip) = 15%-20% tip
Level 2 ($10 meal, $2 tip) = 20% tip
Level 1 (assuming $5+ pp, $1 tip) = 16%-20% tip

So while you don't think you are tipping a percent, you actually are...pretty consistently!

And you are consistent - adding your Jiko update:

$30-$40 a person like Jiko, then $5-6. But I don't see myself spending that kind of money there.

$5 tip on $30 = 16.6%
$6 tip on $40 = 15%

 

[JimboJones123]

Yep!

 

[shoppingnut]

Finally, for those who say, "I always tip more than 18% so woo-hoo this is going to save me money!" I have to ask - why will you stop at 18% now? I assume that, like on a room service bill, there will be a place where you can add your additional 2% tip if you truly are always a big tipper. If that line isn't there, there's always the table so you can leave cash. Why will you suddenly be cheaper? That makes no sense!

Because I'm not sitting there to figure out how much a few more percent is for the tip. I would always leave the 20% discount amount, it was just easier, no calculations required. It's not a matter of suddenly being cheaper, it's about what's easier to do.